There is a Junior (Grades 3-6) version of this article here.
Two days ago, the president of Egypt told the people he will stop being president in September. (September is when an election is supposed to take place.)
But many people want him to go now. They have been shouting in the streets, “Leave! Leave! Leave!”
The president of Egypt is Hosni Mubarak.
Barak Obama, the US president, spoke to him on Tuesday. He told him things cannot stay the way they are. Obama said on television that the United States will support the people of Egypt first, not the president.*
Yesterday a new fight started in the streets of Cairo, Egypt’s capital city. Mubarak’s friends came out of their homes and shouted in the streets: “Stay Mubarak, don’t leave!” These people believe Mubarak is doing a good job.
The two groups – those who love Mubarak and those who don’t – are now fighting. Both groups are starting fires and throwing things at each other.
The army of Egypt is trying to control the fighting. They say they will not hurt the protesters.
*Many people have different opinions about President Obama’s position on this issue. Make sure to talk to a parent, teacher, or an adult you trust before you make your opinion.
Related Articles:
Protests in Egypt (Primary version)
Protests in Egypt
CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS
Writing/Discussion Prompt
There is a big problem in Egypt because some people like the president and some people do not. Now, these groups are fighting each other. If you were in Egypt, and saw a group of people who were yelling at each other, what would you say to them to solve their problem?
Reading Prompt
Did you read TKN’s other story about Egypt? Did reading that story help you to think about today’s story? How did it help you?
Primary
Identify several reading comprehension strategies and use them before, during, and after reading to understand texts (OME: Reading, 1.3)
Grammar Feature: Capitals
There are lots of capitals in today’s story. As you know, capitals go at the beginning of each sentence, but they go in some other places too. Underline all the capital letters that are not at the beginning of the sentence and you’ll see for yourself. Can you figure out what types of words writers always start with a capital?
